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Sign at your peril?

 
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TokyoLiz



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:12 am    Post subject: Sign at your peril? Reply with quote

Some contract ALTs tell me that a dispatch company asks them in December to complete a letter of intent - whether they intend to stay with the company, continue at the same work site, change work site or move on - date it and sign it, then mail it back to the dispatch company office.

What's their game? Any job I've seen with one-year contacts usually asks teachers to indicate by email or in a face to face meeting that they are recontracting or leaving.

Are there consequences if the foreign worker signs this document of intent?
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marley'sghost



Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do the ALTs write it themselves, or fill in a form provided by the company? The dispatch co. I work for emails us a questionnaire every year, complete with plenty of legal disclaimers about how it's neither an offer or promise of future employment, is purely to gauge numbers for the recruiting department, and is totally non-binding for each of the parties.
I can't imagine anything sinister is going on here, unless there are, "ALTs must surrender their first born to the company upon contract renewal." clauses. Read the fine print!
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It happens at my university. They just want to know who intends to quit so they know how many teachers they need to hire by March.
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steki47



Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, same thing at my ALT company.

I also remember working at Nova how they would talk to us and do an evaluation at the 10-month level to see who's staying on.

No threat. With ALT work, no real guarantee of future employment, either.
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TokyoLiz



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 1:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies, all.

It's not the statement of intent that I thought was suspicious. It's the fact that the dispatch company asks the employee to sign the form and send by post rather than simply accepting an emailed statement of intent.

It's unlikely that the statement of intent is binding, sure, but I see the requirement as control-freaky behaviour.
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G Cthulhu



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 2:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TokyoLiz wrote:
but I see the requirement as control-freaky behaviour.


And this surprises you about Japan how? Very Happy
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 2:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

But the thing is, some people say they will return for another year, then later they decide to quit.
Maybe they think if you sign your name you will put more thought into whether you want to stay for another year.
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Vince



Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 559
Location: U.S.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TokyoLiz wrote:
It's the fact that the dispatch company asks the employee to sign the form and send by post rather than simply accepting an emailed statement of intent.

It's unlikely that the statement of intent is binding, sure, but I see the requirement as control-freaky behaviour.

Yeah, that does seem odd. I'd want to see the statement's exact wording.
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